


Lovely

by relatablepicsofrustyventure (fo4companionmusings)



Category: The Venture Bros
Genre: Coming Out, Emotional support from friends, Everyone Is Gay, I didnt think i was gonna update this but here we are, M/M, absolutley everyone lmao
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-18
Updated: 2019-05-18
Packaged: 2019-11-23 08:35:28
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,555
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18149564
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fo4companionmusings/pseuds/relatablepicsofrustyventure
Summary: Byron chats with Al and comes to the conclusion he’s probably not as straight as he thought. It's complicated.. And hard to grasp.[Set some time directly after Operation P.R.O.M.]





	1. Chapter 1

Saturday evening and Al was coming over because Byron was insisting he had an emergency that he needed help with. Byron never said what it was, but Al could tell it was really important. 

When he arrived, Byron was sitting curled up on his couch in only his pentagram boxers and a t-shirt that read “Have you kissed your necromancer today?”, his face tucked in between his knees. 

The house was cold. Really cold. A Queen record was blasting as loud as it could go. There were only a few candles igniting the room around him to provide light. Al turned on the actual lights with the flick of a switch and blew out all the candles.

“Jesus, Byron. What’s wrong with you?” He asked, walking over to the record player. “QUEEN?” Al turned down the record player really low then took a seat beside his friend. 

Orpheus seemed hesitant to speak for a moment. “Al, am I... Attractive?” 

“Oh god.. Okay. Is that the emergency?” He crossed his arms and leaned back on the couch, sighing loudly. 

“So, I’m repulsive then, like that of a three-eyed newt.” 

“A three-eyed-“ Al paused and scrubbed his hand across his face. “No, Byron. You’re not ‘repulsive.’ Who the hell even uses that word?” 

“Me.” 

“What brought this on?” He questioned, tapping his foot in the air. 

“Doctor Venture, he..”

“I’ll strangle that skinny bastard you just say the word and nobody will know where he went.”

“Let me speak!” Byron shot his head up from between his knees and focused his gaze straight forward, his usual exaggerated inflection in his voice. 

“Jeez, bitchy pants. Fine.” 

Byron gripped his knees with his hands. “I am just feeling.. So you say... Insecure.” 

“What does that have to do with Rusty?” Al furrowed his brow, grabbing a blanket and draping it around Byron. 

“Nothing! I.. I don’t know..” Byron pulled the blanket closer around him. 

“Do we need to go to one of those.. Titty bars? Get you a lady or something?” Al asked, grabbing another blanket for himself. 

“I’m.. Not really intrigued by women anymore.” Byron shivered and reached his hand out, waving his hand and turning off the record player entirely with a magical movement of his wrist then quickly tucking it back in the blanket for warmth. 

Al’s eyes widened and he turned to face Byron. “Are... Are you gay, Byron?”

Byron shook a little more and blew in to his hands. “I.. Yes.”

Al found himself bouncing up and down, trying to contain his excitement. “Really? Like for real?”

“YES!” Byron exclaimed, bursting out from under his blanket. 

“What the hell are you so sad about then? You know there’s plenty of people around you that support you? Care for you? I understand coming out is hard, but..” Al asked, trying to figure out the issue. That’s when it hit him. 

“HOLY SHIT. HOLLLY SHIT, BYRON. ARE YOU IN LOVE WITH RUSTY FUCKING VENTURE?”

“I feel nothing but the deepest shame in my heart for I know this is not something I can act upon.” He stated, pulling his blanket around him again, this time hiding his face. 

“Well, I mean.. Have you asked him?” 

Byron shook his head from underneath the blanket. 

“You’ll never know unless you ask.”

He shook his head again. 

“I can ask for you.”

He shook his head even more violently.

“I’m gonna leave, and I’m gonna go ask him right now. Let me tell you, that guy can say that he’s straight all he wants, but it’s gonna take a hell of a lot of convincing for me to actually believe that.” 

“Please.. Don’t.” Byron whispered. 

“Fine, but YOU should talk to him, then. Don’t let my crummy love life be an example for you.” 

——

Al left later that night, leaving Byron to his thoughts after chatting more over a couple drinks. He’d never actually told anyone about how he was gay yet. Except, now he had. He felt a sense of joy, relief. There were more people to talk to, but the time wasn’t going to ever feel right. 

It was now 1 a.m. or so, at least he guessed. The clocks had all stopped working in the compound after a time spell went a bit crazy. The only clocks that seemed to work now were digital ones and those wrist communicators that the Ventures had.

Craving a middle of the night bowl of cereal, Byron opened his fridge only to find there to be no milk. With a sigh, he started heading throughout the compound to the Ventures’ kitchen. He’d leave an IOU or something, if he drank it all.

He started passing by Rusty’s workshop, only to find the light still on and the door cracked open just a tad. Byron opened it just a bit further and found Rusty hastily scribbling all over a whiteboard. 

“No, that’s WRONG.” Rusty viciously scribbled out what he had written then sat down with a loud thud. 

Byron did everything his brain was urging him not to, he opened the door.

In response, Rusty stood from his chair and stumbled backward. Almost afraid it was some villain coming to get him. 

“Orpheus, ah.. Hi?” He said, capping his dry erase marker. 

“Mr. Venture I was uh.. I was going to procure some milk from your fridge and I just.. I saw the light.” 

“No, yeah.. That’s... That’s fine..” Rusty sat back down.

Byron entered the lab fully now, closing the door behind him. “May I uh.. Speak to you about something?” 

“Look, Orpheus I’m rather busy there’s a deadline coming up soon..” Rusty took off his glasses and started cleaning them with a rag on the counter. 

“Byron.” He stated, staring at the ground. 

“Didn’t know if you were comfortable with that.”

“I am.”

“Byron-“

“Rusty, I will only be a moment of your time. I.. Need to get this off my chest now or I fear that I never will.” 

Rusty waved one of his hands in Byron’s direction. “Alright, go on.”

“Over.. The time that I’ve come to know you I’ve.. I’ve found myself rather... I..” 

A look of confusion formed on Rusty’s face. “Yeah?”

“I’m.. I’ve developed feelings for you, Mr. Venture.”

Rusty’s eyes widened. “YOU? You’re in love with me? This, you’re joking right?”

Byron shook his head. “I am not.”

Rusty stood in place for a while, his head tilted to the side, entirely trying to figure out how to go about this situation. “Me? Seriously?”

“Yes!” 

“You want to... Kiss me?” 

Byron’s face instantly turned red. “I.. Is this some kind of sick joke?”

Rusty stepped forward, closer to Byron now so his back was pressed against the door. He was so close that Byron could feel the smaller man’s breath against his neck.

“Do not... Please do not play games with me.” 

“I’m not.” 

Byron felt Rusty stand up a little taller, and then ghost their lips against one another. It sent a shiver up his spine. Every part of him was convinced that Rusty was drunk or high or something, because this couldn’t be real. It simply couldn’t be. 

“My feelings are not a joke! Don’t treat them as such!” Byron shook a little, being so nervous that he couldn’t contain it any longer. 

“Relax, Byron.”

Rusty closed the final bit of distance between them now, pressing their lips together. 

Byron instantly found himself melting.

\----

The moment was rather short-lived. Not more than a moment after their lips touched, Rusty faded from existence in to a cloud of red smoke that settled in to a tiny puddle on the floor. 

“Oh, damn it! DAMN IT!” Byron looked around. “Am I really that in love with him that I made a projection of him? I.. I am a fool.. Pathetic.. PATHETIC! Nothing is ever that easy. My subconscious is a WRECK!” 

He paced back and forth. The light to the workshop had indeed been on, but the Rusty that his mind had created had not been. Someone had been here very recently, though. 

Byron turned around, to find a startled Rusty in the doorway, holding a sandwich. 

“Um.. Do... I want to know what’s going on here?”

“Probably not.” 

“Weird magic jumbo in MY lab?” Rusty asked, crossing his arms and giving Byron a rather sassy look. 

“Uh.. Yes, well you see..” 

“Who were you talking to?” 

“Nobody.” Byron chuckled and started sidestepping around Rusty to leave the lab.

And with that, he darted out of the lab, speedwalking back to his home. He was kind of embarrassed that anyone had seen him in his pajamas. Al had, but that was different. 

Once back in the comfort of his bedroom, he crawled under the covers, sticking his arm out to reach for the phone and dial Al. 

“Fucking.. Hello?”

“Greetings.”

There was a loud sigh on the other line. “God’s’ sake... Byron you can’t call me at 1 a.m. I was just about to pass out. We’re also able to communicate telepathically. Why did you use the phone?”

“My judgement is severely clouded. He’s in my thoughts, Al.” 

“Welcome to being in love, sweetie. You’ve literally had a kid and you you’re acting like being in love is new.” 

Byron restrained his voice, but all he was aching to do right now was shout. “You don’t comprehend what’s happening to me. Since the other night, things they’ve just gotten.. Difficult. That is why I invited you over in the first place.”

“Oh god, you didn’t manifest a copy of him did you?” 

“Perhaps..” Byron reached in to his end table and pulled out an old bottle of liquor, taking a swig from it. “Please help me.”

“I told you that you need to talk to him- Are you drinking? Byron, when I was over we had like.. A bottle and a half of wine. How the hell are you not passed out on the floor?” 

Byron could hear some whooshing noises on the other line then and in an instant Al was sitting in his bedroom. He was a little buzzed and felt rather sad and affectionate because of it, but it was nothing like last night. He drank so much peppermint schnapps spiked punch that he would have kissed anyone that moved. 

“He nearly caught me in his lab with the projection of him. Al, it felt so real.” 

“Byron Orpheus are you even listening to me?” Al was waving his hands in front of Byron. “I’m literally in your room now.” 

“During the.. The prom.. I felt like a child. I wanted him to dance with me.”

“Can’t do anything about that now.”

“I am aware of that.” Byron set the liquor down, feeling the alcohol hit him a little bit more. He giggled. 

“Jesus, here we go. Byron, you’re drunk. Get some sleep. Talk to him in the morning when you’re more sober, okay?” 

“Can’t... Speak to him. He will most definitely detest me, kick me out..” Byron rested his head on his head for a moment, feeling nauseous. 

“Fuck it.” Al clapped his hands together and moved them in various ways, poofing Rusty in to existence, being entirely tired of this situation and wanting his friend to stop moping around like a dumped teenager. 

“What the.. Hell..” Rusty looked around. “I was just in the lab and then.. Whatever, I’m not gonna question it. What do you two want?” 

Al clapped his hands together again and all three of them were in the hangar. All the decorations and things from the night before hadn’t been cleaned up yet. “You two are gonna talk like adults. Byyyyeee.” With one last clap of his hands he disappeared, leaving drunk Byron alone with the real Rusty.

“Uh.. Mr. Venture.. My apologies. Al is just convinced that I need to tell you about my feelings for you.” Byron tensed up immediately after the words left his lips. He definitely should not be trying to talk about this now, but here they were.

“You.. What?” Rusty scratched his chin, not entirely sure that he had heard Byron correctly.

“Rusty, I.. I’m in love with you.”

Rusty’s eyes widened. “What?”

“Please do not make me repeat myself. I’m embarrassed enough as it is.” Byron states, gesturing to his outfit then crossing his arms. 

Rusty stepped a bit closer now. Byron kept his gaze focused anywhere but Rusty. 

“I am.. nothing but an old fool. I can see that. Please, do not make fun of me.” 

Rusty chuckled. “Six billion people on the planet and you fall in love with the other old fool right next door.”

“This.. It’s not a joke.”

Rusty reached for Byron’s hands, taking them in to his own. “I know that.” 

Byron was convinced in his head that this was another projection of his mind, even though Al summoned Rusty himself, the real Rusty.

“You looked.. Really good last night, Byron.” 

“Ah, really? I felt a little.. Over the top.”

“You’re talking to me about being over the top? Please.” 

They both laughed, Byron entwining his fingers with the smaller man’s before him. Rusty hadn’t protested yet. He hadn’t ducked away or insisted he brought back inside. 

“It’s late. Like, even for me. We can talk about this in the morning or something, okay?” Rusty gave Byron’s hands a squeeze.

It wasn’t a definite yes, but not a definite no either. The ambiguity made Byron very nervous. 

“That.. Yes! That would be fine!” He stated, performing some hand motions of his own and teleporting back to his own room and putting Rusty back in his lab. 

It was probably the alcohol talking, but no matter what official answer he got from Rusty, he tried to keep himself hopeful.


	2. Chapter 2

The next morning came and went. Byron went about his day, trying not to focus on the way Rusty's hands felt in his own. 

Rusty had told him that they would talk the next morning. It wasn't morning anymore. Byron knew that fixating on his emotions so much would drive him absolutely mad. The super scientist would talk to him when he was ready. 

He was chanting a spell, sparks engulfing a bear skull in the middle of a triangle on the floor. The sparks began swirling and forming all sorts of shapes. It was a spell to decipher his subconscious and clear it from any bad judgements. 

He was interrupted with a knock on the door. The sparks scattered and started the curtain on fire. Byron gasped and pulled it down, trying to extinguish it. 

"IT'S OPEN!" 

Brock opened the door and Byron chuckled awkwardly, continuing to extinguish the growing flames. "Mr. Samson, what is it that I can do for you?" 

"You're not fucking with him, right? Because he talks about you a lot." Brock crossed his arms and leaned against the doorframe.

Byron could tell that he was trying to be intimidating. It would have worked better, were his curtains not currently on fire. 

"Rusty? No.. I couldn't ever! I... It's hard to explain.."

"Told me you said you're in love with him." 

"I.. I.. That is.. Hold on!" He whispered some words and a cloud formed in the ceiling of the room, rain descending from it. 

Byron sighed and sat on the couch as the flames finally dissipated. "That is.. Correct." 

"Got it." Brock nodded a little and left as quickly as he came. 

Byron tried to focus back in on his spell, but instead of the sparks swirling orange like before, they came out purple and popped viciously. 

"/Purple/? Why I never-" He kicked the skull and it went flying across the room, shattering in to pieces. "Madly in love... PURPLE! I've never seen such a thing.."

Everything magical was going wrong, so now he felt like he needed to do something a bit more ordinary to get his mind off of things-- grocery shopping. 

He dressed down as much as he could to be in public, but his style was just too much for a lot of people, even when he tried to be a bit more casual. 

After getting dressed, he pulled his hair in to a loose ponytail and headed out. He drove rather leisurely, wanting to take up as much time as he could. 

He entered the grocery store and stood there for a minute, feeling a bit dazed about anything and everything right now. 

Someone nudged against his side, making his involuntarily step out of the way. Byron gave the stranger a nasty look and started down the cereal aisle, which was closest to him. 

No matter how hard he tried to focus, he couldn't because Rusty kept invading his mind. He grabbed a random box of cereal and threw it in his basket. 

He found himself dizzy now. He didn't know if he could continue to be around Rusty if his feelings were not returned. 

Those thoughts kept repeating and he kept grabbing foods he wouldn't normally eat. He missed having his daughter around too. The thought of him just being lonely, and not really loving Rusty danced around his cranium. 

This wasn't helping at all. He paid for his items and left, hating the thought of heading back to the compound right now.

\----

Byron's drive home was even slower than when he went. He purposefully took the long way, and drove a solid 15 miles under the speed limit. 

Upon being buzzed back in to the compound, he grabbed all his groceries on one arm and pulled his ponytail out. It felt weird and embarrassing even though he had literally just brandished it in public. The ponytail just made him look like a janitor. 

That's when he saw Rusty. He was talking to a man not far off the lobby. It sounded like some kind of contract deal for something that the man had an idea for, but couldn't put together himself. 

Rusty saw Byron, locked eyes with him for a moment, then started toward him, bidding the other man farewell and stating that they'd work out the finer details later. 

"I've been looking for you all day. Where have you been?" 

Byron nodded in the direction of outside. "Bit of shopping. I.. Didn't feel it was ethical to keep consuming all your food." 

"Right.." 

The pair was walking toward Byron's quarters now, and his heart was racing out of his chest. He studied Rusty's face, his hands, clenching his hand free of groceries in to a fist. God, did he miss physical contact. 

"I.." Byron stopped in the middle of the hallway now. "I'm sorry if I did something yesterday that... Offended you.. Made you think that I had anything but noble intentions.."

"You didn't do anything. I've been busying trying to draft a project for an rich idiot. He pays good though, so I suffer through his bullcrap whenever he requests something." Rusty crossed his arms, eyeing down the hallway to make sure the aforementioned idiot had left already. 

"My apologies for jumping to conclusion and assuming it was my own fault." 

Byron started walking again and they arrived at his door together. He was surprised he had managed to keep so cool. That was a rather loose term. Anything besides summoning another physical copy of him he would have considered cool at this point. 

His mind was starting to wander to Tatyana. He missed her and his mind still wandered to her frequently, but Rusty was changing that. He thought of her less and less. Despite Rusty's sometimes cold and blunt attitude, he appreciated that he would listen. He appreciated the roof over his head. 

As he turned to open the door, Rusty's hand met his wrist. It startled him and made him tense a bit, but he didn't pull away.

Rusty pressed him up against the door, pinning the hand he had grabbed to it. That hand quickly moved to cup Byron's face. His other hand rested on his waist, slowly snaking it's way up his shirt ever so slightly, feeling along Byron's hipbone. 

"How are you so.. Fit?" Rusty said, continuing to feel along Byron's body. It was rather toned, the muscles weren't too defined, just enough that if you pressed slightly, you'd definitely be able to feel them. 

Byron noted the insecurity in Rusty's voice. It hurt him to hear it. Despite Rusty's compliments, he too felt insecure a great deal of the time. His own insecurity is what possessed him to go to the gym a few times a week. 

"Rusty," Byron said, pausing to look over his face. "You are.. May I use the word beautiful? Are you comfortable with that phrasing?"

Rusty's eyes widened. "R.. Rea.. Yeah.. Are you serious?" 

Byron nodded, running his own hand across Rusty's narrow frame, feeling his chest through his shirt. "I was not lying to you when I confessed my feelings for you."

Byron analyzed Rusty's face, trying to judge what he was going to say next, but Rusty kept quiet. 

He then reached for one of Rusty's hands, gingerly taking it in his own, much larger ones. "Thaddeus S. Venture, I wish nothing more than to be by your side." 

"Was that a super cheesy way of asking me out on a date?"

Byron chuckled. "Perhaps.." 

"Any chance you'd be able to pay?"


End file.
